Originally posted by: Java Cafe
Got a Motorola V551 from them about a week ago. Nice quad-band phone. Very happy with the set. Does nice blue tooth with a cute head set too.
BUT . . .
After using it for about 5 days, I called Cingular to give me the unlock for this phone so that I may use it overseas next month. After all, that is why I got this *quad* band. (Only a week ago, Cingular sent me the codes to unlock the two V220s in my family.)
This is when things started going South!
After a total of three gruelling hours with four Cingular reps and two AT&T reps, I know now that neither Cingular nor AT&T can help me with this matter . . . because THIS WAS ORIGINALLY AN AT&T BRANDED PHONE ! Wirefly (or Infonics) repackaged it (including changing the logo insert on the handset) and putting it in a Cingular box, to make it work with Cingular.
Cingular tried to be helpful . . but their last suggestion was, "Return the phone and exchange it from the retailer for a true Cingular-branded phone." So, that is why the prices are so low!
So, if you are planning to use this overseas (with a Quad-band) and use have bought a Motorola phone from Wirefly, you may be out of luck, if you too have been given one of these "switched" phones.
Trying to contact Wirefly is painful. They do not reply to email. They have a phone number deep in their web site, which you are supposed to call if you wish to exchange your phone. When I called the number, an automated voice asked me to enter the Order number, which I did. Surprisingly, the automated voice said, "Your order has now been cancelled!" What the . . !!! No way, it seems, of getting a live person.
Anyhow, my five days of joy with this phone is now history. Just curious if anyone has a similar experience.
~ JC ~
I'm considering getting the Nokia 6230 with Cingular service but I have 2 issues :
1. I need to travel overseas and to be able to unlock it. The story above does not look very promising.
2. Does any retailer allows for only 1 year contract with Cingular ????
any input ?